


Commendation

by coolbreezemage



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Gen, Saru is everybody's dad, Siobhan Tilly's A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:00:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28759959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coolbreezemage/pseuds/coolbreezemage
Summary: Saru overhears an unpleasant phone call.
Relationships: Saru & Sylvia Tilly
Comments: 18
Kudos: 42





	Commendation

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place somewhere early in Season 2.

“…and you _know_ how you get when things get difficult, Sylvia,” Siobhan went on, voice dripping condescension. “I just don’t want you to be disappointed when you fail. Maybe we should find you a different program, one that won’t be such a strain on your fragile-"

“I know, Mom,” Tilly interrupted around the lump in her throat. “I’ll be fine.” 

She’d better if her mother wasn’t calling her every week telling her what a failure she was, but she wasn’t going to be that lucky. She’d turned the volume down as low as she could but it still sounded far too loud in the empty halls around Engineering. The minutes ticked away on the padd’s _Active Call_ display, and every second she was getting closer to Stamets realizing she was gone.

Her mom scoffed. “So rude. You can’t talk back like that to a captain, you know. I thought they taught you manners at the Academy. Nobody’s going to want you on their ship if you can’t even get the basics right, you’re going to have to learn that someday.” She shook her head in that way that always made Tilly’s heart sink. “Your sister was never this much trouble.”

Tilly suppressed a growl and glanced from side to side to see if anyone had noticed her crouching in the corridor. “Look, Mom, I’m on duty, I have to get back. I’ll talk later, all right?”

Before her mother could open her mouth to protest, she slammed the button to cancel the call with more force than necessary and made herself breathe slowly, trying to press her anger back down. And her doubt, because maybe her mom was right and she never should have even tried when she was so obviously going to fail, especially when she was _seeing things_ …

“Well, that was deeply inappropriate,” came a familiar voice with an unfamiliar edge to it.

Tilly yelped, fumbling the padd, and looked up to find Commander Saru regarding her, stern as ever.

She went cold. She scrambled to her feet, not that it helped much when Saru already towered over the entire crew. Shit. If it could have been anyone else, maybe they’d have a sense of humor about it, but Saru was probably going to give her a demerit or something. And she thought she’d been doing so well.

“I- I’m so sorry, sir,” she babbled, “I know I shouldn’t have taken the call, but she used an emergency tag, and she’s been trying to call all week except I kept not answering and that always makes her mad…” 

Barely a week since their talk in Sickbay and she’d already managed to disappoint him. She braced herself for the scolding that was to come. At least it wasn’t May. She dreaded seeing May again, because that would only prove her mother right...

Saru held up a hand to halt her frantic apologies. “That is not what I find issue with at the moment, Ensign.”

Did he mean...? She tried very hard not to squirm. “I- uh, how much of that did you hear?” She glanced at the padd as if that would provide an answer.

“Most of it, I believe. And I offer my sincere apologies for the invasion of your privacy.” He made a sympathetic click. “I found I… could not step away.”

Tilly shook her head, wondering if she’d heard something wrong. “That- that’s all right, sir, I mean, it wasn’t your fault, I shouldn’t have been doing it in the first place…”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Saru agreed. “But, under the circumstances, all I will say is…” He paused a moment, as if weighing his words, and she got the sense he was holding back a great deal. “Such behavior towards one’s children would never be tolerated among my people, no matter their perceived flaws. And especially not when the children are as accomplished as you have proven yourself to be.”

“Sir?”

“If she calls again,” Saru continued, “remind her on my behalf that you have received honors in war, were instrumental in keeping _Discovery_ functioning under fire, saved an entire settlement from almost certain destruction, and have received glowing reviews from your commanding officers.”

Tilly hesitated, caught between pride and embarrassment. “Reviews? Sir, I haven’t received any…”

“Only because I haven’t filed them yet.” He tilted his head. “Return to your work, Ensign. You are needed here.”

She managed a smile. “Thank you. I promise that won’t happen again.”

Saru gave her a nod and strode off to discuss something or other with Commander Reno. Tilly straightened her back and took a deep breath.

Her padd chimed a notification for an incoming priority call. 

She left it on the table and went back to work.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought about adding more of Saru telling her that she's a worthwhile person regardless of accomplishments, but I think at this point he's a lot more comfortable phrasing it in terms of her documentable successes.


End file.
